Missing Ohio boy spent the night locked inside Target alone before being discovered by an employee

An Ohio boy was discovered inside a Target by an employee after spending the night in the store by himself.

The 12-year-old had been locked inside the Target at 8100 East Broad Street in Blacklick, roughly four miles outside Reynoldsburg.

He was discovered by an employee at around 6:15 am Monday morning.

According to the Columbus Police Department, the child was a runaway whose parents had filed a missing persons report Sunday.

He was transferred to Franklin County Children Services before his parents were notified of his whereabouts.

A 12-year-old Ohio boy was discovered by a Target employee Monday morning after being locked inside the store overnight

The child was a runaway whose parents had filed a missing persons report Sunday, Columbus police said

Shopper Brian Taylor said he was surprised no one had discovered the child before closing the store Sunday night

The child was reunited with his family Monday afternoon.

Target customer Brian Taylor told WCMH he was appalled no one had located the child before the store closed for the night.

'By the parents, by the employees, by anybody. Was he silent? Was he hiding?' Taylor said.

'That's terrible, terrible. I'm stunned.'

The store was open and operating as usual throughout the day, and a representative for the retailer said the situation was quickly resolved.

'The well-being of our guests is our top priority,' the spokesperson said in a statement provided to media outlets.

'Our team in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, immediately contacted law enforcement upon finding this child and cared for him until authorities arrived.'

No charges will be filed in this case, authorities said. Details about the circumstances surrounding the child's disappearance have not been disclosed.